Digital printing is used widely in the field of printing, particularly for the preparation of prototypes, low quantity print runs, and for the customization of print media. In contrast to many other printing techniques, digital printing does not require the preparation of costly printing plates and therefore allows for rapid transitioning between designs.
Despite its advantages, it is believed that digital printing has not been used to make heat transfer labels. Heat transfer labels are labels that are printed in reverse onto a release carrier and transferred to a container using heat and pressure. Instead, gravure or flexographic printing processes are typically used to make heat transfer labels, pressure sensitive labels, and other types of labels. Unfortunately, since it can take several weeks to prepare the printing cylinders or plates, the manufacturer must design the label well in advance of the actual decorating. As a result, the manufacturer is unable to make last minute changes to accommodate current promotions, product information changes, or to meet current demands in the marketplace. Additionally, the manufacturer may end up with an excess of decorated (i.e., labeled) containers in its inventory and/or may not have sufficient time to get new decorated containers into the marketplace.
The present inventors have discovered that there are unique challenges associated with the use of digital printing technology to print onto substrates with release layers. In particular, the heat associated with the digital printing process can cause premature softening of the release layer, which may result in defects in the print quality of the label and/or the decorated container. Thus, there remains a need for a heat transfer label and assembly suitable for use with digital printing. There also remains a need for a method of making a decorated container that allows greater flexibility in label design, reduces the time to market, and reduces the need for excess inventory.